Apparently, [Spell-Weaving] is the discipline that studies the construction of the [Matrix] of a [Spell].

And what is the [Matrix] of a [Spell], you may ask?

Well… it’s actually a pretty hard concept to understand, but it can be (more or less) explained as a list of commands you want the [Spell] to perform, listed almost like in a program, but all mental (and spiritual) faculties are taken into consideration when 'weaving' it: Like a program written on an AI-assisted computer, that could, somehow, read your mind when scripting, resulting in a program that mirrors, at the best of its capabilities, both the 'instructions', and the 'intentions'.

Still with me? Good, because it’s not over.

This [Matrix] then is analyzed by the [System], compared to similar [Matrixes] already recorded, smoothed of its the 'rough edges' (when they have no impact on functionality, but only efficiency: a messy [Matrix] will give you a messy [Spell]), 'attuned' to the necessary types of [Mana] to work (and if the one constructing it lacks the required connection to them, the [Spell-Weaving] is 'aborted'), and then, and only then, it is woven into a [Spell], while simultaneously 'slapping' a name on it (which must properly describe the [Spell], because if not apt enough it will cause the [Matrix] to collapse).

But you also have to remember that one’s use of [Mana] is linked to the owned [Abilities] (and/or [Traits]), meaning that if you try to use your [Mana] in a way that is too detached from what you should be capable of doing, the entire thing goes caput (sometimes, spectacularly so).

And that is it… or at least a gross oversimplification of it: honestly, it would have been much easier to properly learn to program on Earth, which probably would have helped me here too.

But it’s no use crying over spilled milk, especially when it’s almond milk.

I hate almond milk.

Guh, I still remember being rushed to the hospital for it.

…Oh, right, [Spells]!

The explanation above was merely an introduction on what we were taught, before having to wrestle with the 'beginner' [Spell] of every budding [Mage], even though it’s taught to every person here on [Nexus]:

[Light].

Because of course, it’s [Light]; after all, what’s easier to control than the double nature of waves and photons?

Nearly every-fucking-thing, that’s what!

But, apparently, I was the one in the wrong: all you have to do is say 'to the world' that you wanted some light, and reality just provided it to you.

Seems too easy, right?

But it really was that easy. Or it would have been if I wasn’t trying to apply the logic from my old dimension here, starting from the idea that I had to consciously work with my [Abilities] to make it function properly, instead of simply giving instructions and having the [System] 'go to town' with them.

But I was too stubborn (and petty) to not do it my way.

And so, from this, I got the conundrum of which of my [Abilities] would be the correct one to start with.

If only it ended there: no matter what I did, my other [Abilities] refused to form a [Matrix].

I mean, I learned how to use [Inspect] on my first try, so why was trying to activate the others looking like it would be impossible, for me?

"Don’t take it at heart, Darwin, it’s not unusual for a newly [Transferred], from a world with little to no [Mana], to have a hard time learning how to use their [Abilities]" the ever-optimist Undine tries to cheer me up, after my umpteenth failure.

"How could I NOT take it at heart? I have a [Class] that is 'supposedly' good a creating, with an [Ability] designed to do exactly that, and I can’t even manage to form a beginner [Spell]!" I was beyond frustrated.

And that was only worsened by the fact that only me and a couple of melee classers were still stuck on the [Light Spell], while everybody else had moved on to new and better things.

"Why don’t we go back to the basics, again?" She asks.

"UUUuuuuuuuuuugggghh" I give out a long and suffering groan.

"Come on, you’ll tell them to me this time around."

"…I need to create a source of [Light]" I ultimately decided to play along.

"Yes, and?"

"Since 'light' is known, as a concept, to me, the more information about it I take into consideration when crafting the [Matrix], the more I will be able to control the resulting [Spell]."

"Almost, you need to work with the information you have, not only keeping them to mind, in order to avoid going against what you would consider 'correct'; otherwise, the [System] will detect the discrepancy and urge you to try and do better, by collapsing the attempt."

"… That’s such a little difference, between what we said, that it shouldn’t matter" I give the [High Priestess] a flat look.

"But it does?" she just raises an eyebrow at me.

"So, I thought that 'creating' a small luminous bulb would make the most sense, just a small ball of [Light Mana], that would burn itself in creating visible light."

"Not a bad take, honestly, and a common one, amongst beginners."

"Then why doesn’t it work?" I ask, with my exasperation reaching new heights.

"I’m not sure: the concept is good, your knowledge is adequate… Maybe knowing exactly what [Abilities] you’re using may help me in helping you?" she finishes with a question she had asked before.

"I have no intention of disclosing any information about myself" I quickly reply.

"Is this about Jeoff? You know that you don’t have to worry about him anymore, right? And I said that I would protect you for as long as it would be possible. Is that not enough to assure you that you’re safe? Or is it that you don’t trust me?" She gently grabbed my hand, in the middle of the discourse.

"It’s not about Jeoff, but I’ll admit that he put things into perspective, and it’s not about not trusting you, you know I do. But I will not risk talking about personal things that I would be safer by not disclosing, and I’ll continue to think so as long as I’m not proven otherwise: and with that, I mean that I need indisputable proof that any information about me, not readily available through [Inspect], cannot be used against me" I say, again.

"Ok, Ok, the world has bad people, nothing wrong there, but you should learn when and where to open up."

"And who says that here and now are the right time and place?"

"Uff" She now sounds like the exasperated one.

I feel bad leaving the discussion like that, but I have to go back to trying to create this [Spell].

I, once again, envision the 'ball of light' that would be the central idea behind it all.

The [Matrix] forms a couple of rings: Good, [Create] is the right one for the start.

And yeah, I can see the [Matrixes] of [Spells] now, not only the movement of [Mana], and they look like interwoven rings, spinning around, and into, each other (maybe that’s why it’s called [Spell-Weaving]), almost resembling those interpretations of atoms, but without a nucleus.

I try and focus on using my [Ability], [Modify], and imagine the light acquiring 'properties':

Luminous. Shiny. Bright. Warm. Burning. Fire. Torch. Sun. Star. Photon. Wave.

I try and hold these images in my mind, with everything that 'light' means to me.

New rings are added to the [Matrix], thicker than the previous ones.

I raise one hand, and try to will [Light] onto my palm, even though the gesture is unnecessary it feels right to me (and instincts are a good thing in [Magic]).

The spinning of the rings grinds to a halt, and the [Matrix] snaps into pieces.

"Darn, another bust" I say, feeling defeated.

"Strange, it was going so well, it felt even more complicated than last time-" starts saying Undine, but I interrupt her.

"Is complexity really a good thing? Wouldn’t the easiest [Spell] be best if it remained 'simple'?"

"Do you really think that? The greatest minds of this field feel that everyone should aspire to make their [Spells] an art-form, wholly unique, and personal to its creator."

"Wait, this is new to me."

"Are you telling me that the more complex the [Spell], the better?" I ask.

"Well, for one that is starting to walk it’s no use knowing how to jump; but yes, complexity generally prevails over simplicity: because the [System] simply doesn’t permit every [Spell] to exist, only those that do exactly what their creator intended them to do. So, the more you add to it, the more it resembles your ideal, and the more correct it will feel" she explains.

"And I have a lot of [Traits] that should help me with this…"

Was the problem, all along, the fact that I thought, wrongly, that since it was a simple thing for everyone else, it should be so for me too?

Should I just go wild with this, and make something that isn’t a “simple” [Light], but that just works as fine as one?

An artistic twist on it, if you will?

Try it, you have nothing to lose in doing so.

"And were where you this entire time? Your help would have been appreciated!"

If I could have helped, I would have.

Unfortunately, the System made it so every bit of information about Spells is not available to you until you complete the Weaving of your first one.

Meaning that I will be capable of helping you only after this.

"I suspected as much, I guess I grew to rely on you too much."

This from the guy that was against the idea of trusting a “brain hitch-hiker”?

"I did not use that term, but now I wish I did.

But, seriously, you’ve been invaluable, and I learned to trust you."

Good to see you maturing, now go back to Spell-Weaving.

And stop being sappy, it is not like you.

And I did just that.

"What do I want, exactly, from this [Spell]?"

A source of light.

"A bit abstract, if you ask me.

How can I make it “real”, and “mine”?"

Well, let's start with the type of light: "I want it warm, like my hold Sun: Helios."

So, a yellow light, in short.

The [Matrix] starts forming on its own, needing only the initial push of my [Create].

And how is it fueled? "By sucking ambient [Mana], of course. No need to feed it myself."

New rings are added.

Then, "do I want it to be directional?"

The option for it to channel its light into a beam would be great. "And what’s the first thing that comes to mind, capable of doing so?" An old-timey lantern: with mirrors and focuses.

The [Matrix] is now bigger than ever, ready, and stable, enough to snap into existence at a moment's notice… but it’s not enough.

"Who would want to carry around a lantern, even a magically made one, when everybody else has [Lights] simply popping up into place? Not me!" And that’s why it will be able to float.

Finally something usable, but I see the holes in its functionality, so the [System[ does too, and so: It’s not enough.

"Why should it just float? That would still require me to somehow move it, and that’s an effort that is best left for something else. No, this lantern will follow me, and my orders, of its own volition, because it will be sentient!"

Nothing too smart, just at the level of a wild raven.

The [Matrix] falters for a moment, and I start to panic, but then an impressive amount of rings are added to it, which seems to somehow stabilize it, at the cost of an exorbitant amount of [Mana], my [Mana].

"The lantern already feeds itself, why can’t the [Spell] itself [Siphon Mana] from its surroundings too?

Uh, looks like it’s already a thing… But how do I add it to the mix?"

Ask, and you shall receive: even more rings enter the 'spell-work', and it starts absorbing the surrounding colorful swirls, relieving my body from some of the weight of the [Spell].

So, a 'fully autonomous, self-recharging, floating, intelligent lantern, that is capable of channeling its yellow light in a beam, or a radius', "sounds pretty good, uh?"

"Wrong!" A normal lantern is made of wood and glass (or, sometimes, of iron and glass), and it’s just one bad tumble away from shattering into millions of pieces.

"No."

The [Matrix] trembles, like it's excited at what I’ll think of next, while dreading it at the same time.

"My lantern will be nigh indestructible, after all, it will be made with diamonds and mithril, because my creations only deserve the best."

Was mithril a thing? Of course, plenty of things in the [Temple] came across as made in the thing: a silvery metal, good at conducting [Mana].

"Exactly what I needed."

I [Create] the [Spell], and the overburdened [Matrix] is released, the rings start expanding, something seems to be materializing at the center of it all, and then-

You have successfully created a new [Spell]:

Magic Lantern of Mage-Light:

(Spell; familiar)

Summon a magical floating lantern, capable of emitting a controllable amount of light, and able of sustaining itself on ambient Mana.

Durability and potency are proportional to the Mana used during the summoning.

I was left looking between a [System screen] and a floating lantern of silvery metal, that was joyously swinging around, whilst considerably brightening its surrounding.

My mouth drops in an open-mouthed smile, and my eyes widen.

Holy shit, it actually worked.

I look at Undine, and she has her eyes as wide as dinner plates, with a mouth hanging open from bewilderment (probably not too dissimilar from the expression I was showing) while looking at the bubbly lantern.

Our gazes cross, I pump both my fists into the air, and while still looking at her, right in the eyes, I shout: "I freaking DID IT!!!"